


Desertion

by neon



Series: Florist & Merc AU [7]
Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Established Relationship, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2020-07-11
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:48:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25193425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neon/pseuds/neon
Summary: Aerith is a florist. Cloud is a mercenary. (AU, Established Relationship)Great, thought Cloud. He recognized the bluster of that speeding bike from miles away.He was finishing lubing the chain on his own Fenrir when the red, muscled bike cruised into the yard. The issued boot of a SOLDIER touched ground. The SOLDIER’s fair mullet split and draped back into place in front of his two pauldrons. His bright, infused eyes glinted dangerously. Roche grinned just as dangerously down at Cloud."Hello again, my friend."
Relationships: Aerith Gainsborough/Cloud Strife
Series: Florist & Merc AU [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1798867
Comments: 10
Kudos: 33





	Desertion

**Author's Note:**

> The flashback in this part follows the flashbacks in ["A Beginning and an End"](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24928258) and ["The Visitor"](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25099201).
> 
> The context for this AU is:  
> \- Cloud and Aerith are in a relationship.  
> \- Aerith was an orphan. Cloud was a SOLDIER.  
> \- Aerith is now a florist, and Cloud is now a mercenary.  
> \- Most main events in canon never happened, or never involved Cloud or Aerith.  
> \- Aerith is still a Cetra, but no one ever discovers that exact fact, including her.  
> \- Cloud and Aerith live in the same house as Aerith's in FF7R, but it's not in Sector 5.

Great, thought Cloud. He recognized the bluster of that speeding bike from miles away.

He was finishing lubing the chain on his own Fenrir when the red, muscled bike cruised into the yard. The issued boot of a SOLDIER touched ground. The SOLDIER’s fair mullet split and draped back into place in front of his two pauldrons. His bright, infused eyes glinted dangerously. Roche grinned just as dangerously down at Cloud.

"Hello again, my friend."

Roche chuckled, the mischievous humor he was always full of bubbling out of him. " _Roche_ ," mirthlessly replied Cloud.

"Enamored as ever by my presence, I see!"

"Not really." Cloud grunted, dropping the lift and sliding it back from under the rear wheel of Fenrir. Roche’s eyes passed enviously over the black and gold bike.

"How has this most splendid of beasts been faring?"

"Much better with me."

Roche laughed, "Ha _ha_! I always knew you two were meant to be." He extended his hand toward them magnanimously. "I could feel her try to buck and be rid of me the moment she laid eyes on you. I had no choice but to bequeath her to you."

Cloud rolled his eyes at the feminine pronoun for a bike. And grimaced out of sight at the reminder that the gift had been given by Roche, against Cloud's will. But Cloud hadn’t been able to refuse. He agreed on one thing with Roche: Fenrir was a one of a kind motorcycle. And now had become an indispensable partner on the many roads they’d ridden.

Cloud turned his back to Roche and picked up a rag to dry the grease on his palms. He rubbed at the stains caught in the fissures of them. "What do you want?"

"You know what I want," Roche purred. "I demand we spar."

"Not interested."

Cloud felt the metal edge of a sword tap his neck. He stopped cleaning his hands and glanced carefully over his shoulder down the blade from the corner of his eye. Roche still smiled, though Cloud could see the move of his jaw and cheek as he ran his tongue inside his mouth.

Cloud faced forward again. "You’re in a mood." He twisted the rag up each finger of one hand before he did the same on his other, turning them over to see if he’d missed any spots on his knuckles.

"I suppose the whispers wouldn’t have reached your ears yet, being all the way out here." Cloud waited. "A rumor, that is, of another war with Wutai."

After a moment, Cloud set down the rag on the seat of his bike. After another moment, he said, "Well, good luck with that, SOLDIER." Not Cloud’s concern, anymore. One war was enough, for him.

"The only war Cloud wages now is against the weeds."

The two men pulled their eyes up to the porch. Aerith closed the door behind her and turned, ready with her basket on her wrist and her sunhat on her head. She raised an eyebrow at the scene, but didn’t seem overly concerned.

She waved. "Heya, Roche."

"The lady graces us with her presence!" Roche had pretty much immediately cooled off.

Cloud easily caught Aerith’s attention with a look, and rolled his eyes. Aerith still faced Roche, so pulled her lips in to stop her answering giggle.

"So?" She asked, "What’s the commotion?"

"What else? Idiot wants to fight."

"While I reject the noun you’ve chosen, yes, the rest is so." Roche’s voice lowered, at the same time he lowered his sword. Cloud could sense Roche staring intently at the back of his head.

"Spar with me, Cloud. For old time’s sake."

Cloud heard the unsaid. That this might be Roche’s last chance for a while, or forever if the idiot died playing at war. Cloud couldn’t ignore the plea.

Outwardly, he shrugged coolly. "Fine." He raised his leg smoothly over Fenrir’s seat, stipulating, "Not here."

He turned the key. Roche laughed uproariously, mixing inside the sound of the engine.

"I know just the spot, my friend!" Roche spun the rear tire of his own motorcycle, then kicked off, flying over the road.

Cloud sighed and muttered, _Dammit,_ before he readjusted the bridge of his goggles. He would need them with all the dirt Roche was sending up. Until Cloud got in front of him, of course.

He leaned for Aerith’s parting kiss. "See you later, then," she said.

"Soon. This’ll be over quick."

"Oh, you."

Cloud raced off. He knew the way Roche was headed - the site of their first duel.

* * *

The Motonox Gust was firm under his thighs. The sky was heavy over his head. Cloud eased to a higher gear to outrace the storm clouds. He didn’t want to get caught in a downpour before reaching Aerith’s place. He hated the rain besides.

He thought he couldn’t be hearing right, but that was definitely the sound of another bike on the deserted road. Coming fast, too. Cloud glanced at the mirror. What he saw behind him was a black and gold bike unlike any he’d seen. Ridden by a stranger in a uniform Cloud was all too familiar with, though.

What was a SOLDIER doing this far from Midgar?

"Well, _hello_!"

Cloud pretended to ignore the SOLDIER, but stared sidelong. Wearing his goggles, the SOLDIER wouldn’t have been able to tell. The SOLDIER’s own face was bare, no helmet either covering his coif that descended into a ridiculous mullet. Cloud could tell the SOLDIER wasn’t to be taken lightly, though. Didn’t know what class, but he never even had to nudge his bike once back on course as he stared, very intensely, at Cloud. Or the bike was just that excellent, it practically drove itself.

"You must be Cloud Strife." Cloud’s eyes snapped back to the road ahead. "Oh, so sorry! How rude of me to not introduce myself first. My name is Roche - but you may address me by the more accurate appellation, Speed Demon!"

And with that, he torqued ahead, weaving and spinning impressively across Cloud’s path. Toying with him.

Cloud drew his sword from the harness on his back and angled it down and behind him, ready to sweep.

"You must be wondering what I'd want with you, Cloud Strife!" the SOLDIER, Roche, called back.

"Why don’t you _hurry up_ and tell me, 'Speed Demon'." Cloud’s retort caused loud, carrying laughter from Roche.

"The answer is this!"

He popped the motorcycle’s front wheel off the ground, spun it, and slammed it back down to crash onto Cloud. He missed - Cloud braked at the last second to dodge, impressed despite himself by the reckless maneuver. Not just the bike that was good, then.

"Shinra has a hefty bounty out for one deserted SOLDIER, who just so happens to share the rising name of one very helpful mercenary."

Cloud hissed below his breath, _Shit._

"It’s not everyday a SOLDIER deserts… and manages to get away with his life. I even heard," Roche slowed to ride alongside, "You’re First Class."

"… _Was,_ " Cloud admitted, pride getting the better of him.

"Myself?" Roche replied, pride doing the same. "Third. Ha! Does that surprise you?" Cloud’s eyebrows _had_ risen.

Roche steered sharply toward Cloud, forcing the course they were on. Cloud parried the blow of Roche’s sword that came out of nowhere. "Let’s see what you’re made of, shall we? Come on!" _Let’s push it past the redline!_

Eventually, bike pushed to the limit and sliding out from under its rider, Cloud was forced to a stop. Eventually, the SOLDIER and ex-SOLDIER faced each other on solid ground.

The way Roche fought with a sword was like a dance. Cloud hated dancing. Even if his feet could follow the damn steps - until he was the one taking the lead.

He pointed the tip of his blade at Roche’s throat.

"Satisfied?" he asked him.

They were both panting. But Roche answered, "With such fleeting pleasure? Hardly."

Roche shifted to rise, harmlessly. Cloud removed his sword.

"I’m gonna let you live this time. And you’re gonna leave me the hell alone."

"You have a soft heart, for a SOLDIER." Roche’s look was calculating, even as he continued grinning close-lipped.

" _Ex-_ SOLDIER." Roche raised his hands, palms out, assuaging.

"I make no promises, Cloud Strife." He said, tapping his chest, "You see, you’ve turned the key…"

Cloud wondered what the hell that meant. Then he decided he actually didn’t care to ask.

Roche continued, "I never had the intent of turning you in to Shinra - my curiosity was simply piqued. But now you’ve made me even more curious. How far can we soar, the two of us?"

"…Do you ever shut up?"

Roche, of course, laughed. Settled, and said, "You've won this time. In exchange for my life, I’ll give you this." He sat on his bike again, finding the handholds blind since his stare was still on Cloud.

"There were others looking for you. Though they’re still far behind us. Try not to die to them."

Cloud scoffed, _Not a problem._ Roche revved the engine and hollered:

"Until next time, my friend!"

_'_ Friend'?

Cloud stood his own bike up from where it had skidded to a halt and, after inspecting it for unfound damage, settled on top of it.

He held the key without turning it. He felt one cool drop on his bare wrist, and he tipped his head back to see the dark sky falling.

Cloud wasn’t able to outrun the rain, after all.

He was drenched by the time he made it to Aerith’s. Dripping on her porch as she ran back inside to grab a towel. Grumbling half-heartedly as she ignored him and rubbed the towel over his hair.

"Sorry," he said again, for being late.

"No worries." Aerith hung the towel over the banister and leaned back beside it.

Cloud looked at her in her light blue dress today, color of the sky before the weather changed over. She looked up at the porch roof, where the rain was pounding it from above.

"…Do you like rain?"

Aerith tipped her head, thinking about it. "Rain can be good for the flowers. But not a downpour like this. Hopefully it passes just as quick as it came on." Aerith returned Cloud’s look. She idly swung her foot between the rails behind her. "Why? What about you?"

Eventually, Cloud shook his head. "Oh? Any particular reason?"

"…Bad memories."

"Oh." Her foot stopped, propped up on its heel. "Wh…at’s going on, Cloud? You’re still shivering, you know."

He looked at his own hand, tucking his fingers in tightly before shaking them back out. "It’s just adrenaline."

"What happened?"

He almost said, _Nothing_ , but stopped the bad habit word from making its way out. It obviously wasn’t true. He decided instead to be straight with her.

"I was ambushed on the way over here."

"Monsters?"

"No." Though he'd called himself a demon. But still, "Just some guy."

Cloud braced himself to keep going with what he had to say.

"There’s something I haven’t told you. About what I was before a mercenary."

"You mean a SOLDIER?"

Cloud blinked hard at Aerith. His brow bunched in his astonishment.

"Y-you _knew_?"

"Well, yeah."

Aerith's own delicate eyebrows had arched in her surprise from Cloud's reaction. He was gaping. He snapped his jaw back up. Dropped his stare. He spoke gruffly.

"Well, there are people after me. Because I’m not that anymore." He mumbled, more to himself than for Aerith to hear, "Shinra wasn’t ever gonna take that lying down."

Cloud forced himself to look back up. Tried not to sound like he hated this next part.

"…Might want to keep your distance-"

He cut off. Surprised because Aerith had put her finger up in front of her lips to shush him.

"And that’s enough right there." She flattened her foot, and grabbed herself firmly on her waist, striking a stubborn pose. "It took me my whole life until a few months ago to find you. I’m not letting you off that easy."

"Huh?"

Aerith smiled and dropped her arms, grabbing onto the bend of her elbow behind her instead, while she waited for Cloud to process. Had she just said her whole life? For him?

Wasn’t it the other way around?

"…You make it sound like we're…"

"Yeah? Like we’re… what?"

The rain was letting up. The sky was brightening. Aerith looked up from under her lashes, expectant. Waiting for him to finish.

"Meant for each other," Cloud said.

"You don’t think so?"

"I - never said that."

"Then… what _are_ you saying, Cloud?"

She knew. But Cloud knew she wanted to hear it from him. He swallowed.

C’mon, he thought at himself, You got this.

He took a step toward her, and another, until she was looking up at him. Her eyes crinkled, glinting, while she tried to restrain her growing smile, while his hands found the banister on either side of her. "I-"

Aerith thumped her forehead suddenly on his chest with a heavy sigh, by all appearances defeated, for some reason. "Sorry - like, _really_ sorry - but we have company."

The rain must have drowned out the sound of them coming. But the flowers would have told Aerith. " _Shit,_ " Cloud said, gripping the banister before letting go. He moved to scan the view. Three figures on motorcycles crested the hill. Somehow they’d followed him. Here, of all places, where she lived.

"Cloud," Aerith said, her hand curling over his forearm, "We got this."

'We'? Cloud thought briefly, before he took up his sword, and took the steps down to meet the trespassers.

He got it a moment later, when a round of bullets meant for him never hit. He’d thought the hunter was down, but apparently not for the count. Cloud raised the broadside of his sword, in time or not, but he hadn’t needed to.

A bright barrier appeared and covered him. Multiple shields fanning in the air, they looked like the petals of a flower. Cloud shot Aerith a look, on the porch with her hand outstretched. She nodded back, determined.

The hunter’s gun hand fell limp, finally passed out. Cloud kept moving, making sure his next blow knocked the next one out for real. He spun to the last one.

Alone, they stumbled back, heel ready to press down and crush a flower.

Aerith and Cloud saw, and shouted at the same time, " _Hey! Watch the flowers!_ "

Cloud grabbed them by the shirtfront and flipped them hard onto their back, out of range of the flower beds beside the path. The breath left them. They raised their hands. Cloud kicked their weapon away, and chopped the edge of his hand against their head, that lolled. Out cold.

Cloud leapt over the steps to check on Aerith.

"You okay?"

She looked fine. Reassured him with her exuberance.

"We did it!"

"Yeah. We did. That shield… That was pretty amaz-"

"Ah, Cloud! Your bike!"

Cloud, glad he’d equipped the right materia to his wrist that morning, quickly cast to encase the flaming bike in ice.

He and Aerith took in the tableau. Three sprawling, unconscious bodies, multiple weapons scattered, three unattended bikes, and one scorched motorcycle frozen in the yard’s new ice sculpture. Flowers miraculously intact, though.

Cloud told Aerith, "…You’ve got your work cut out for you, with me."

A corner of his mouth turned slightly up, against its tendency to frown, when his words were met with nothing but her delighted grin.

"Well, guess you’re not running away from me anytime soon," Aerith said, and decided, "You’re staying the night. But first, let’s clean up."

* * *

After washing up Cloud laid across their bed with his eyes closed, denying every time Aerith asked, _You asleep yet, sleepyhead?_

He stayed awake until he felt the bed dip, Aerith sitting for the routine of him combing out her braid. "Roche seemed intense. Well," Aerith amended, "More than usual."

"Yeah…" Their spar hadn’t been so much a spar as an outright battle. Cloud won, of course. But still. Roche had come on way too strong.

"Worried?"

"For that-" Cloud sighed. He ran his thumb over the tiny braid he’d ended up tying a piece of her hair back into before he let it drop. "…Only because _he_ actually is."

Aerith stood and moved to the vanity, inspecting Cloud’s work. "Maybe he’ll make a break for it."

"He barely follows orders now." Cloud rolled onto his side, shutting his eyes again. "Can’t imagine anyone could stop him. Shinra’d never be able to catch that Speed Demon if he decided to run, anyway…"

Cloud drifted off to the sound of Aerith whispering to the indoor flowers about her own day. Woke briefly when the lights went out and Aerith pulled the cover up for them to get comfortable under.

Aerith said, _Sweet dreams_ , brushing her finger lightly on Cloud's nose, until laughing softly when he turned his face into the pillow and grumbled, _Good night, Aerith_.

He woke a second time with a pounding heart. With the first thought that the cold sweat covering his skin was rain somehow following him out of his dream. Out of his memory.

The backs of Aerith's hands were relaxed against the front of Cloud's heaving chest. Aerith slept beside him. Cloud focused, and breathed. He remembered where he was. He was with Aerith. Shinra's war was behind him.

He got up, carefully, to not bother Aerith. In his absence her hands curled under her chin instead. She frowned in her sleep when Cloud left her.

He went outside for air. It was early, dark, and cold. He was still tired. But he started to pace up and down all the winding garden paths.

He didn’t notice when a light in the house came on. Didn’t notice Aerith sitting on the rock, tucking the tiny braid behind her ear and waiting with a shawl and two mugs, until he came right up on her on yet another pass.

He joined her. He was handed one of the mugs but he didn’t drink. He was given half of the shawl when Aerith wrapped it around his shoulder as well as hers.

Aerith said, "It’s strange, but I can feel when you’re near or far. The flowers sometimes tell me, but sometimes it’s just a feeling. Even in my sleep I know."

Cloud didn't think it sounded so strange. It seemed kind of like how he could hear Aerith "calling" out to him, when she needed him.

"Then… I woke you up?"

She shook her head. "Yeah, but I don’t mind. I’m glad of it. I could feel you walking out here. Let me know you couldn’t sleep."

She pulled her corner of the shawl to fold it across herself better, and blew across the top of her tea. "Really think there will be another war?"

He wasn’t surprised she’d guessed what was on his mind. Cloud sighed. "Who cares. Doesn’t affect us."

"We do live pretty far away. Still… it would suck, that's for sure. "

Cloud remembered. He could only agree in a dull voice, "Yeah."

"Are … ay, Cloud?"

Cloud said again, automatically, "Yeah. 'm fine."

Hands gently clapped on both sides of his face. Cloud blinked after Aerith guided him to look at her and focus.

"Cloud," she admonished.

With her hands on his face he realized he had his teeth grit, and his jaw clenched. He also realized her hands were warm from holding the sides of her mug. He sighed heavily and sagged into the touch. He covered one of her hands with his to reassure her. Himself. Whatever.

She bowed her head, at the same time as Cloud did, to lean their foreheads together. Aerith smiled. "That’s better."

They separated. It started to rain.

Cloud flinched when he felt the first wet drop on his cheek. He mumbled, "Seriously?"

Aerith had stood, leaving Cloud the shawl that he swiped across his cheek. She formed one of her shields over their heads for an umbrella. A yellow ward to keep them dry, glowing like a small sun, lighting her and him up.

"Shall we head in?"

They ducked in out of the rain. Cloud laid the shawl over the back of a chair. Aerith set their mugs in the kitchen sink, and when she was done, Cloud scooped her up to carry her, laughing, up the stairs to go back to sleep.

_Don’t you go anywhere this time,_ Aerith said, poking Cloud’s forehead.

Cloud nuzzled closer in their embrace. _Staying for good,_ he answered.

**Author's Note:**

> @highfivestrife (nsfw) if you want to witness my obsession with FF7R
> 
> P.S. I know I said there wasn't going to be another one of these for a while, but this idea popped into my head while I was writing the previous part. This one really is going to be the last one for a while! Thank you all again!


End file.
